Barriere, British Columbia is located 66 kilometers
north of Kamloops on Highway 5 which winds along the North
Thompson River. The community is 373 meters above sea level.

Legend has it that "during the early days of the
Cariboo gold rush, an old trapper named MacDonald, hailing from
Scotland, was plying his trade in the central North Thompson Valley.
Each winter he would stockpile his pelts at Little Fort. In the spring
of each year, he would load up his pelt on his old mare, and with the
help of a young Chu Chua Indian, he would set out on the old highway for
Kamloops.
On one of his annual trips, the old man and his young companion stopped
for lunch at the site of what is today: Barriere. Following lunch, the
old mare refused to start up again. The old Scot gave her the buggy whip
and she suddenly keeled over and died. His Indian companion said to
MacDonald: "What are you going to do now?" to which the
old man replied: "Bury her". From which Barriere got it's
name.from a story re-told by local authority: David
Baines

It is more likely that the community's
name refers to the barrier that the Barriere river makes as it flows
into the North Thompson, which accounts for how the name is pronounced
by locals ("barrier").

However it got it's name, there are a
multitude of reasons why people live in and love Barriere! The
idyllic community with active citizens and small-town values, Barriere
is located central to a wealth of outdoor activity areas. Find out
more about recreational activities in the
Barriere area.

People make their livings here in many
different ways, but the main economic activities are forestry, tourism
and agriculture. Some people say that living in Barriere is like living
in a camping trip!